Shaft-coupling.



\. :PATENTBD DEG. 1, 1903.

SHA1

BREIDING. T GOUPLING.

FILED FEB. 14, 1903.

T A nu I L P D.. A

No. 745,714. PATENTED DEG. l, 1903.

H. BREIDING.

SHAFT CUPLING'..

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 14. 1903.

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ivo. 745,714,

NITED STATES Fatented December 1, 1903;

HENRYBREIDINQ-.QF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

SHAFT-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent. No. 745,714, dated December 1, 1903.

Application iiled February 14, 1903. Serial No. 143,311. (No model.) g

To @ZZ 1071.071?, t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BREIDING, a citt zen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the countyof Whiteside andY Statefof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shaft-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to conibination quick-shift and antirattle couplings of the general nature of the coupling described in Patent No. 628,443., granted to me July 1l, 1899.

My primary object is to provide for a coupling of this character additional safeguards against rattling and accidental uncoupling and also to render the device exceptionally simple and durable.

' The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which-` Figure l represents a broken sectional view of an axle and thill joined by the improved coupling; Fig. 2, a sectional View taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a plan View of the device shown in Fig. l; Fig. 4, a section taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section parallel with the axle as indicated at line 5 yof Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the hood or shaft-pin retainer;

Fig. 7, a perspective view ofA the lever; Fig. 8, an edge view of a modified form of antirattler-spring, and Fig. 9 a front view of the saine.

The preferred construction is as follows:

A represen-ts a vehicle-axle; B, a pole-eye or thill-eye; C, an axle-clip of usual construction having thill-attaching eyes or lugs C', a clamping-bar C2, and nuts G3; D, va hood or shaft-pin retainer constituting a part of the new attachment; D', a spring serving the double function of preventing rattle of the thill and of locking the attachment-lever; D2, resilient rubber blocks resting upon the tops of the axle-clip lug-sand serving as a safetylook for the device; D3, a pin or rivet extending through the upper portion of the hood and serving to secure the spring and rubbers to the hood; D4, a headless shaft-pin extending through the thill-eye and axle-clip eyes and having its ends substantially .dush with the outer lateral surfaces of the thill-eyes, and D5 a lever serving to depress the hood, thereby forcing the spring D into the space between the thill-eye and axle-clip and at the saine time bringing the retaining-li ps of the hood into alineinent with the shaft-pin.

The hood or shaft-pin retainer comprises a sheet-metal U-shaped member having'a top c. and sides a', provided 'with plain rear edges and with forwardly-projecting retaining-lips a2. The upper portions of the sides are provided with vertical slots a3 for the pin D3, and the lower ends thereof are provided with perfor-ations c4 for the pivots of the lever.

The spring D is wedge-shapedand provided at its upper portion with an eye b,

loosely receiving the pin D3. The spring has a forwardly and upwardly turned leaf b', concaved on its front side to conform to the curve of the thill-eye. The end edge of the leaf bl is concaved at b2 to prevent interference with the thill when the thills are elevated. For the saine reason the front edge of the to of the hood is concaved at b3. l

The lever D5 comprises a U-shaped ineinber with cams c for engaging the under surfaces of the axle-clip lugs and lateral pivots c', iitting inthe perforations d4 of the hood. The pivots c have triangular projections c2 for preventing accidental disconnection of the lever froin thehood. One of the perforations a4 is round, and the other has a triangular recess c3, providing for the ready connection and' disconnection of the lever when turned to a certain positionwith reference to the hood. The lever is conveniently formed from onefourth-inch steel rod bent to U form, the end portions being bent out ofthe plane of the U and then upon themselves to form the earns c and then laterally to forni the pivots c'.

The manner of applying the device will be readily understood. The shaft-pin replaces the ordinary bolt and connects the thill-eye to the axle-clip. The hood is preparatorily slipped over the thill before the'thill is connected with the axle-clip. The spring is then entered and the lever thrown from the position of the -dotted lines to the position of the full lines of Fig. 2. In this movement the cams or bearings c of the lever slip along beneath the axle-clip lugs till the pivots are in the rear of the cams and the lever is locked. This leaves the spring andV rubbers under compression. It will /be noted that the spring has an inclined portion d, which bears against ICO a corresponding inclined portion d of the axle-clip and that the leaf b/of the spring bears upon the thill-eye above a horizontal diam eter. The result is that the spring has a strong tendency to raise the hood and lock the lever, also that the spring will readily free itself when thedevice is opened. 'This is of prime importance, since it is necessary to provide against possibility of rattle by the lever and desirable to have the device easily removable. Should the spring'break, as it is liable to do in extremely cold weather, the rubbers act as a safety-lock for the device, preventing possibility of accident.

In a modification contemplated the spring E, Figs. 8 and 9, is formed with a main portion f for entering between theythill-eye and axleclip and two branch esf, adapted to surmount and bear upon the tops of the axle-clip lugs in lieu of the rubbers D2. Since the danger of all the leaves of the spring breaking at one time is exceedingly remote, the safety feature of the device practically would be unaffected by the modification, and the necessity for the use of the somewhat-expensive rubbers would be obviated. Moreover, a proper spring is less liable to deterioration than is rubber.

It is noteworthy that in my construction there are few parts, no objectionable projections, and the spring is well housed. Moreover, the device is exceedingly neat, compact, and durable and has the very great merit of absolute safety.

Changes in details within the spirit of my invention are contemplated. Hence no undue limitation should be understood from th foregoing detailed description.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Adevice of the character described, comprising a shaft-pin retainer, a shaft-eye-engaging spring and axle-clip lug surmouuting resilient member connected with said re tainer, and a lever servingto depress said retainer, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a shaft-pin retainer, a shaft-eyeengaging spring pivotally connected by a transverse pivot with the upper portion thereof, and a lever pivotally joined to the lower portion thereof, for the purpose Set forth.

3. The combination of a shaft-pin retainer, a shaft-eye-engaging spring provided with an eye, a resilient member for engaging the upper surface of an axle-clip lug, a pin serving to connect said spring and said lug-engaging member to said pin-retainer, and a lever for depressing said pin-retainer, for the purpose set forth.

4. rlhe combination lof a U-shaped hood having a top provided with a concaved front edge, a shaft-eye-engaging spring attached thereto and provided with a forwardly and upwardly turned leaf having a concaved end edge, and a U-shaped lever connected with the lower portion of said hood, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a U-shaped hood for embracing the lugs of an axle-clip and provided at its upper portion with vertical slots, a shaft-eye-engaging spring, a pin working in said slots and connecting said spring and hood, and a U-shaped lever connected Vith the lower portion of the hood, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of a U-shaped hood for embracing the lugs of an axle-clip, rubber blocks in the corners at the Lipper portion of said hood, a shaft-eye-engaging spring, a pin connecting the spring and rubbers with the hood, and a U-shaped lever connected with the lower ends of the sides of the hood, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a U-shaped hood, a suitable shaft-eye-engagingspring, and a U-shaped lever pivotallyjoined to said hood and comprising an endless member bent to U shape with end portions bent to form lugengaging cams and extremities bent laterally to afford pivots, for the purpose set forth.

' v HENRY BREIDING.

In presence of- J. E. MCPHERRAN, C. CHASE MACPHERRAN. 

